PlainZIP

South Paris, ME · standard

ZIP Code 04281

Oxford County, Maine - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

5,116
49/sq mi
$75,137
Median income
$240,400
Median home value
28.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

South Paris pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 45%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 45%
home value, US ZIPs
49
people per sq mi
60%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 04281 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 04281 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in South Paris, Oxford County, Maine, home to 5,116 residents across 105.1 square miles, a density of 49 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 04281 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $75,137 (2% above the Maine average), while per-capita income is $33,381. Poverty here runs at 12.5%, with unemployment measured at 1.5%. Housing costs here run $240,400 for a typical home value (15% below the state average), with rent averaging - a month; 60.2% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.2, and the average commute is 22 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 8 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 04281, plus 6 more within Oxford County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 04281

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in South Paris, ME

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 04281.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 04281, South Paris, ME · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

5,116

Population

105.1

Area (sq mi)

49

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 04281?

48.2

Median Age

47.8%

Male

52.2%

Female

0.5%

Foreign-Born

White 95.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$75,137

Median Household Income

+2% vs state

$33,381

Per Capita Income

12.5%

Poverty Rate

1.5%

Unemployment Rate

22.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 04281 ranks nationally

South Paris, ME household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$75,137 Top 45% higher than 55% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 65.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

2,746

Total Housing Units

2,200

Occupied Units

546

Vacant Units

2.33

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 60.2%
Renter 39.8%

$240,400

Median Home Value

-15% vs state

1981

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 139 business establishments in ZIP 04281, employing approximately 1,887 people with a combined annual payroll of $93,957,000.

139

Businesses

1,887

Employees

$94.0M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 25 18.0%
Construction 20 14.4%
Other services (except public administration) 17 12.2%
Accommodation and food services 16 11.5%
Health care and social assistance 10 7.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 9 6.5%
Transportation and warehousing 8 5.8%
Manufacturing 6 4.3%
Finance and insurance 6 4.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6 4.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 4 2.9%
Wholesale trade 3 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 2.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 04281 vs 04271 →

ZIP 04281 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 04281 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 04281 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 04281 ranks #3 of 8 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
04271 Paris, ME 67 1.4 mi
04289 West Paris, ME 1,815 5.8 mi
04268 Norway, ME 5,023 5.9 mi
04238 Hebron, ME 1,416 5.8 mi
04270 Oxford, ME 5,880 9.2 mi
04292 Sumner, ME 948 9.2 mi
04256 Mechanic Falls, ME 3,064 10.6 mi
04220 Buckfield, ME 3,077 9.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Oxford County

04270 standard
Oxford, ME
Pop: 5,880
04276 standard
Rumford, ME
Pop: 5,841
04268 standard
Norway, ME
Pop: 5,023
04037 standard
Fryeburg, ME
Pop: 3,834
04217 standard
Bethel, ME
Pop: 3,312
04220 standard
Buckfield, ME
Pop: 3,077

Related Areas

Oxford County South Paris, ME Maine

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 04281 in? ▼
ZIP code 04281 (South Paris) is located in Oxford County, Maine. Oxford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/oxford-me.
What is the population of ZIP code 04281? ▼
ZIP code 04281 in South Paris, ME has a population of 5,116 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 04281? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 04281 is $75,137, which is 2% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 04281? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 04281 is $240,400, which is 14% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 04281? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 04281 is White at 95.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 04281? ▼
ZIP code 04281 has 139 business establishments employing approximately 1,887 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 04281? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 04281 are: Retail trade (25), Construction (20), Other services (except public administration) (17). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 04281? ▼
In ZIP code 04281, 65.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 04281? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 04281 is 22.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 04281? ▼
In ZIP code 04281, approximately 60.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 39.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 04281? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 04281 is 12.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.